Chapter 4 - THE EMPTY CRIB
Ethan's world narrowed to a single thought.
Nora.
He ran upstairs.
Claire screamed his name.
The crib was empty.
The star-patterned quilt lay on the floor.
Ethan tore through the nursery.
“Call the police!”
Claire already had her phone out.
Margaret stood frozen in the doorway.
Then Ethan saw something.
The window was open.
Fresh mud marked the sill.
“He came through here.”
Ethan climbed outside.
The yard disappeared into darkness.
Police arrived within minutes.
Searchlights swept the property.
A K-9 unit tracked the scent toward the wooded trail behind the house.
Then an officer shouted.
“We found something!”
It was a baby blanket.
Not Nora.
The blanket contained a folded note.
Ethan opened it.
STOP SEARCHING FOR DANIEL VALE.
Underneath was another sentence.
OR THE NEXT THING YOU LOSE WILL BE YOUR WIFE.
Claire collapsed against the wall.
Margaret whispered, “They're back.”
Ethan turned.
“Who?”
She looked at him.
“The people your father was investigating.”
“Investigating what?”
“Children.”
The word made Claire gasp.
Margaret continued.
“There was a private network. Wealthy families who wanted babies without questions. Daniel knew about it.”
“And my father?”
“He tried to expose them.”
Ethan's hands shook.
“Did he die because of it?”
Margaret nodded.
“He was killed.”
The police officer looked at her.
“You've known this for eighteen years?”
Margaret lowered her eyes.
“I was threatened.”
“By whom?”
She whispered a name.
“Victor Hale.”
Ethan recognized it.
Hale was one of the richest developers in the state.
A man who had attended Ethan's father's funeral.
A man who had given Ethan a scholarship after high school.
A man Ethan had always considered a family friend.
His phone rang.
Victor Hale.
Ethan answered.
“Mr. Cole,” Victor said calmly.
“Where is my daughter?”
“I don't have your daughter.”
“Then why are you calling?”
“Because your mother is lying to you.”
Ethan looked at Margaret.
Victor continued.
“Ask her what happened to the first child.”
The call ended.
Claire gripped Ethan's arm.
“What does he mean?”
Margaret looked at Claire.
“He knows.”
“What does he know?”
Margaret finally broke.
“I was there the night your first baby disappeared.”
Claire went completely still.
“You?”
“I tried to stop them.”
“You let them take my baby!”
“I was trying to save my son!”
Ethan stared.
“What did you do?”
Margaret cried.
“I gave them the location of Daniel.”
The confession landed like a gunshot.
“You betrayed him?”
“Yes.”
“And Dad?”
“He found out.”
Ethan could barely breathe.
“You caused his death.”
Margaret nodded.
“I did.”
Then an officer ran into the room.
“We found a vehicle.”
Ethan turned.
“Where?”
“Two miles away.”
“Is Nora inside?”
The officer hesitated.
“No.”
“What did you find?”
“A photograph.”
He handed it to Ethan.
It showed Nora sleeping.
Taken less than an hour earlier.
On the back, someone had written:
May you like
SHE WAS NEVER RANDOMLY CHOSEN.
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